Educational device



Nov. 24, 1925. I A. L. RUNYAN EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Original Filed Jan. 17, 192i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ARTHUR .L Ru/vYA/v,

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A. L. RUNYAN EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Original Filed Jan. 17, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED s'rarns ARTHUR L. RUNYAN, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE.

Application filed January 17, 1921, Serial No. 437,851. Renewed June 18, 1924.

To (/71 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, An'rrrun L. RUNYAN, a citizen of the United States and aresident. of Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Educational Devices, of which the following is a specification. 1

Iiily invention relates to educational devices of the class shown in United States Letters Patent, No. 1,354,692, issued to me October 5. 1920, wherein there is provided a series of charactered blocks arranged in suitable magazines, in cooperative relation with means for displacing the blocks from the magazines, and means for supporting the blocks in alined rows, whereby to display in any desired combinations the characters upon the blocks. It is the object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensively constructed mechanism of this kind, in which the character-ed blocks are ejected from the magazines by one-piece Key-levers. and carried thereby into convenient positions from which said blocks may be manually moved onto the means for supporting the same in rows. A further object of my invention is to provide in said mechanism a series of supplementary magazines, so constructed and arranged that in each of the same one of a series of blocks therein is constantly exposed to view, the e. posed block being held in such a manner that it may be readily removed from the magazine and transferred to the row-supporting means. Further objects of my in veution will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical l 1 ngitudinal section of a mechanism en'ibm'lying my invention, Fig. 2 is a detail transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. -l is a detail transverse s ction on the line t--el of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a partial plan view showing certain of the supplementary magazines. and Fig. 6 is a iiartial front eleration of the mechanism.

The mechanism shown in the drawings so designed that it may be constructed throughout from sheet-metal so that the parts may be very rapidly and economicall v punched and formed by the use of suitable dies, whereby to produce the device at a minimum cost. The main frame of the device has right and left side-plates 7 having inwardly turned flanges 8 formed at their lower or base ccges, said side-plates being connected and spaced transversely by front and rear angle-bars 9 and 10 secured to said flanges 8. Said sideplates are further connected by an upper cross-bar 11 disposed and secured bet-ween the ends of the up wardly and rearwardly inclined portions of the sine-plates, and an intermediate crossbar 12 disposed between said inclined por-- tions of the side-plates near the lower ends thereof. The side-plates 7 are also connected to each other by a cover-plate having at the ends thereof lugs l lwhieh extend over the outer sides of the side'- plates and are detachably connected there with by screws 15. Said cover-plate 13 has at its rear edge a downwardly and rearwardly extending flange 16, and at its front edge has a vertical flange 17, the latterresting against the front edges of the side-plates, the lower portion of said flange extending behind the vertical portion of the front angle-bar 9, and said vertical flange 17 hav inga uniformly-spaced series of slots 18 therein through which the key-levers extend so as to be guided thereby. Adjoining the upper edge of the front flange 17 the plate has a slightly inclined portion 19, from which a series of rectangular portions 20 are partially detached and swaged downwardly, the upper and lower edges of said portions 20 remaining attached to the body of the plate, while the lateral edges are separated therefrom. Said inclined'plateportion 19 and downwardly swaged portions 20 form'a holder for a strip 21 which extends continuously through the space above the portions 20 and below the intervening bars left between the depressed portions 20.

Suitable characters, such as the letters A-Z- shown in Fig. 6, are printed on the strip 21, at positions such that the same are exposed when the strip is in place in the holder.

At the upper inclined edges of the sideplates the same are bent laterally to fori'n U-shaped channels 252, which serve to still'en' the plates, and also provide guides for receiving the edges of the ledge-plate 28, the same extending into the channels as shown in Fig. 2. The channels22 also receive the edges of the magazine-plate 24. which extends transversely between the side-plates behind the ledge-plate 23. The intermediat. portions of the plate 2 1 have a uniform series of vertical folds therein forming parallel ribs between which are the spaces for receiving slidably the charactered blocks 26. The upper and intermediate transverse portions of the magazine-plate rest against the cross-bars 11 and 1.2, and a series of tongues 27 are turned rearwardly from the plate so asto rest upon the upper corner 01 the cross-bar 12, as shown in Fig. 1. Adjoining the cross-bar 11 a portion of the plate- 2% is cutaway, leaving only the portions forming the ribs 25, whereby to form behind the upper end-portions of said ribs a space for receiving a printed strip 28 similarto the strip 21. Said strip 28has the same charactersthereon as said strip 21, and said characters are exposed to view through the spaces between the ribs 25 and above the upper edge oftheledge-plate, the latter terminating at some distance below the upper ends of the channels 22, while the ribs 25 of the magaz'i i'ie-plate extend to the upper ends of the side-plates 7. To the upper side of the cross-bar 11 thereis detachably secured a plate 29 which extends forwardly over the upper edge oi the strip 28 and the ends of the ribs 25, the front edge of said plate 29 being curled downwardly over the ribs to form a finish-ing-bead as shown in Fig. 1.

Intermediate the cross-bars 11 and 1.2 there is a transverserod 30 on which are pivotedthe rearward ends of the hey-levers 31. From said pivot-rod the levers extend diagonally downwardly and forwardly, substantially parallel with the magazine-plate 2 .2, passing through slots in the crossbar 12 so as to be thereby guided and spaced transversely.- From the lower ends of the diagonal portions of the key-levers extend forward' horizontally through the slots 18 in the front-flange 17 of the cover-plate, and at the front ends are turned upwardly and then laterally to form the keys 32. The terminal portions which form the keys are reinforced by brackets 33 formed by lugswhich are turnedlaterally from the short vertical portions of the levers. The key-levers are normally held in the raised position shown in Fig. 1 by means of springs 3-4: having hooked end-portions which are engaged in holes 35 near the pivoted ends of the levers. Said springs are arranged so that intermediate portions thereof rest upon the rod 30. while the upper ends engage the lower portion of the cross-bar 11, being disposed between tongues 36 turned backwardly from the lower edge of said crossbar. Near the lower end of the inclined portion of each leylever there is a forwardly extendii'ig lug or wide tongue 37, formed integrally with the leveiu and having" at the upperedge thereof a latera-11y extending portion 38. From the op posit'e edge of the portion 33 a portion 39 is extended dowi'i parallel with the part 37, and at the front edge of the portion 33 a portion s0 is extended doi'vn wardlyadjoining the front edges of the parts 37 and 39. At the lower edge of the front portion 10 there is a forwardly extending lip 4-1 01'" which the width is slightly less than the thickness of the charactered blocks 26. The parts 38, 37, 39 and 40 form, respectively, the top, sides and front of a cubical box-like plunger which is open at the lower and rear sides.

hen the key-lever is in the normal raised position the top-portion 38 of the plunger extends beneath the lower end of the respec' tive magazine-channel, so as to support therein the column of blocks 26. By pushing downwardly upon the key 32, so as to depress the lever to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the plunger is moved rearwardly until its front portion s0 is alined with the rear side of the magazinechannel, and the column of blocks 26 is thus permitted to descend until the lowermostblock' rests upon the lip l1. Then upon releasing the key, the spring 3-l returns the lever to its normal position, whereby the block resting on the lip ll is carried for wardly to a position slightly beyond the lower edge of the ledge-plate 23, from which the block may be moved by hand to any desired position upon the ledge-plate. After Using the blocks the same are replaced in the upper ends of the magazine-channels. through the spaces between the plate 29 and the upper edge of: the ledge-plate, the proper channel in which to insert each block being shown by the characters on the strip 28. Similarly the cha 'acters on the strip 21 serve to designate the several l-I6 VS 32 which are respectively adjacent thereto, as shown clearly in Fig. 6, whereby it is not necessary to mark the keys with the characters of the blocks controlled thereby. By removing the strips 21 and 28 and substituting others with the appropriate characters thereon, the machine may be employed for the manipulation of sets of blocks with any desired characters thereon.

In order to enable the use at the same time of two sets of the blocks, with different characters thereon, or of larger numbers of similarly charactcrcd blocks than can be contained in the nnigaZine-channcls behind the ledge-plate, I provide a series of supplementary magazines, as follows: Each suppleinentary magazine is formed from a single piece 01'' shect-n'ietal, which is formed into a rectangular tube 12 of such size as to receive s'lidably a pile of blocks 26 disposed lintwise therein. T he tubes 4-2 are disposed vertically, the lower ends thereof resting within a transverse channel-bar or U-bar l3 of which the ends rest upon the flanges 8 at the lower edges of the sideplates 7. The tubes d2 extend between the hey-levers 31. and their upper ends extend through rectangular openings in the coverplate 13, so as to project slightly above said plate. Tongues L l extend from the rear sides of the tubes beneath the cover-plate and preventvertical displace ment thereof. A coiled ttollowenspring 45 is disposed in the lower portion of each of the tubes, said spring serving to press the pile of blocks therein upwardly against stoptlanges l6 which are turned inwardly from the sides ot the tube at the upper end. In the front side at the upper end of the tube is a rounded notch through which the uppermost block of the pile may be engaged to push said block out through the open rear side of the tube above the cover-plate. In Fig. one of the blocks. with the character 3 thereon is shown as partially ejected from the supplen'ientary magazine. From said Fig. 5 is will be apparent that the characters on the blocks 26 in the supplementary magazines are constantly visible through the space between the stop-flanges do, and that any oil the blocks desired. for use may be released instantly by merely pushing the same rearwardly. The blocks may be readily replaced in the magazines. either by first pushing the pile of blocks dmvnwardly in the magazine until there is sntlicient space at the top to enable another block to he slipped in beneath the stop-flanges through the open rear side. or by directly inserting a block edgewise through the space between the stop-flanges. and then pressing on the inserted block to push the pile down until the insertedhloek may be turned into the normal horizontal position beneath the stoptlanges. To prevent release of the itollowersprings by removal of all ot the blocks t'rom any of the supplementary magazint-is, a special block 47 is placed at the bottom of each pile and directly engaging the spring. The special blocks it? are of greater thickness than the blocks 26. or more than the depth of the penings at the rear sides of the tubes above the cover-plate 13, through which said l)l()(l S 26 are ejected, whereby said blocks are not removable from the tubes. The outlets of the magazine project From the cover plate 13 which forms an inclined guidin taco for the blocks as they a re ejected 'trom the outlets oi. the auxiliary magazines.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

i. in a meclninisin ot the class described. the comhinatimi with a plurality of char acter blocks, and a displaying support having a front taco provided with means for sustaining and displaying the character blocks. of a series of magazines. for said blocks lo rated in rear of the said front face, and an inclined ejecting lever for each of the magazines extending longitudinally of the magazines in rear of the same and hav ing an operatingportion and an ejecting portion arranged to move the blocks from a magazine and place them upon a part of the said support.

2. In mechanism of the class described the t'Ull'lblllfltlOll with. a plurality of character blocks, and adisplaying support having a front face provided with. means tor sustaining and displaying the character blocks, ot a series ot magazines for said blocks located in rear of the said front face, and a lever for each of the magazines extending longitu-dinally of the magazines and pivoted at one end and having an operating portion at the other end. said lever being also provided with an ejecting portion arranged to move the blocks from a magazine and place them upon a part of the support.

3,111 mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support having a front face provided with means for sustaining and displaying the character blocks, of a series oit magazines for said blocks located in rear of the said front face, a trz'insverse pivot, a plurality of lovers mounted on the pivot and extending longitudinally of the magazines in rear thereof and having portions arranged to move blocks from the respective n'lagazines and place them upon a part of the support, and springs connected with the respective levers and bearing against the said pivot for urging the respective levers in one direction.

4-. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a. plurality of character blocks. and a displaying support; having a. trout itace provided with means for sustain ing and displaying the character blocks, of a series of magazines tor said blocks located in rear of the said tront :t'ace, a transverse pivot, and a lever tor each of the magazines extending longitudinally of the magazines and provided with an ejecting portion movable transversely of the magazines and arranged to carry blocks from a n'iagazine and place them upon a part of the support.

In mechanism of the class described the combination with a. lilllltllili y' of character blocks. and a displaying SHPpOl'lJ having a tt'ront time provided with means for sustaining and displaying the character blocks, of a series of magazines tor said blocks located in rear of the said front taco, a transverse pivot. and an angle lever "for each of the magazines fulcrnmed at one end and provided at the other end with an operating por tion and having at a point intern'iediate of its ends adjacent its angle an ejecting portion movable transversely of the magazines and arranged to carry blocks from a magazine and place them upon a part of the support.

6. In a mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support having an inclined front face provided with sustaining and displaying means, ofv a-series of magazines extending longitudinally of. the said front face for said blocks, and angle levers. extending longitudinally of the magazines and each pivoted at its upper end and having an approximately horizontal front portion projecting from the support, each lever being also provided with an ejecting portion movable transversely of the lower ends of the magazines and arranged to carry blocks from one of the same and place them upon a part of the said support.

7. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support having an inclined front face provided with means for sustaining and displaying the blocks, of a series of inclined magazines located in rear of the said front face for the said blocks, means for moving the blocks from. the magazines and placing the blocks upon a part of the support, and auxiliary magazines arranged at the front portion of the support and provided with outlets arranged to permit the blocks to be delivered upon the inclined front face ofthe said support.

8. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support having an inclined front face provided with means for sustaining and displaying the blocks, of a series of inclined magazines located in rear of the said front face for the said blocks, means for moving the blocks from the magazines and placing the blocks upon a part of the support, and vertically disposed auxiliary magazines located at the front portion of the support and provided at their upper ends with outlets arranged to permit the blocks to be delivered upon the inclined front face of the support.

9. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support having an inclined front face provided with means for sustaining and displaying the blocks, of a series of inclined magazines located in rear of the said front face, ejecting levers having means for moving blocks from the said magazines to a part of the support, and auxiliary magazines located at the sides of the lovers and extending through the front face and provided thereat with outlets arranged to deliver the blocks upon the inclined front face of the said support.

10. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of charac ter blocks, and a displaying support having an inclined front face provided with means for sustaining and displaying the blocks, of a series of inclined magazines located in rear of the said front face, ejecting levers rename having means for moving blocks from the said magazines to a part of the support, and vertically arranged auxiliary magazines located at the sides of the levers and projecting from the front face of the support and provided thereat with outlets arranged to deliver the blocks upon the said inclined front face of the support, and spring actuated followers operating within the auxiliary magazines and arranged to maintain the blocks at the said outlets.

11. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support having an inclined front face provided with means for sustaining and displaying the blocks, of a series of inclined magazines located in rear of the said front face, ejecting levers having means for moving blocks from the said magazines to a part of the support, and vertically disposed auxiliary magazines located at the sides of the levers and projecting from the front face of the support and provided in their projecting portions with front and rear openings arranged to permit the blocks to be moved from the auxiliary magazines upon the inclined front face of the support.

12. In mechanism. of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support having a front face provided with means for sustaining the blocks, of a series of vertically arranged magazines projecting at their upper ends and provided in their projecting portions with opposite openings arranged to permit the blocks to be moved from the said magazines onto the inclined front face of the said support.

13. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support having an inclined front face provided with sustaining and displaying means, of a series of vertical magazines projecting at their upper ends through the support at the front thereof and provided in their projecting portions with front and rear openings arranged to permit blocks to be moved from the magazines onto the inclined front face of the said support, and means operating within the magazines for moving the blocks to the said openings.

14-. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a pluality of character blocks, and a displaying support having an inclined front face provided with sustaining and displaying means, of inclined magazines extending longitudinally of the support in rear of the front face thereof and provided at their lower ends with outlets, inclined operating levers extending longitudinally of the supports and each pivoted at its upper end and provided at the lower end of its respective magazine with an ejecting portion movable across the outlet of such magazine and arranged to carry blocks from the said outlet onto a part of the said support, each lever being also provided with a substantially horizontal front portion projecting from the support and having operating means. 7

15. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, and a displaying support: having an inclined front face provided with sustaining and displaying means, of inclined magazines extending longitudinally of the support in rear of the front face thereof and provided at their lower ends with. outlets, inclined operating levers extending along the supports and pivoted at their upper ends and provided at the lower ends of the magazines with ejecting portions movable across the outlets and arranged to carry blocks from the outlets onto a part of the support, said levers being provided with substantiallyhorizontal front portions projecting from the support and having oper ating means, said levers being also spaced apart and vertical auxiliary magazines located in the spaces between the levers and projecting at their upper ends and provided thereat with outlets.

16. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of charac ter blocks, of a displaying support having a. front face provided with sustaining means for displaying the blocks, said support being also provided at the front with depressed portions arranged at intervals and disposed in alinement, and an indicating strip or member arranged in the said depressed portions and disposed at intervals at the front of the support, and magazines for the said blocks associated with the indicating strip or member.

17. In a mechanism of the class described. the combination with a plurality of character blocks, of a displaying support having a front face provided with sustaining means for displaying the blocks, said support being also provided at the front with depressed portions arranged at intervals and disposed in alignment, an indicating strip or member arranged in the said depressed portions and disposed at intervals at the front of the support, magazines for the said blocks and ejecting levers having means for moving the blocks from the magazines onto a part of the support, each ejecting lever being provided with an operating portion associated with the indicating strip or member and located adjacent to the same.

18. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a plurality of character blocks, of a series of magazines for said blocks having open ended projecting portions provided at opposite sides with inwardly extending flanges arranged to engage the blocks and spring actuated plungers operating within the magazines for holding the blocks in contact with the said flanges, the latter being spaced to permit the finger to move between them in removing the blocks, and a support from which the said magazines pro'ect, said support being provided with a front guiding face arranged to receive the blocks from the open ends of the magazines.

ARTHUR L. RUNYAN. 

